3 Monts Flanders Golden Ale | Brasserie De Saint-Sylvestre

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Bottle marked 1725:
Pours a lovely and completely clear straw color. Head build-up is decent, nice retention, and fleeting lace.
Nose was initially a little skunky, but that tailed off a bit and allowed a floral to wine-like smell to come through. Not sure on the age of this (guessing about a year if I assume Julian date code). I could think a little fresher might yield a bit more fruit and a little less off scent, but that would be a guess.

Taste took a couple sips to get used to, as some oxidation-like notes came out, but nearly like I worried from the nose. Peppery to even a little smoky (but not really - an interesting "smoldering" note), the lively carbonation is refreshing and prevents too large a sip. Light in body, floral to herbal notes are hinted at as the beer crosses my tongue. Definitely a subtle flavored beer, with a hay-like bitterness. There is a light fruitiness to the yeast (I presume), and just a hint of the barn.

Took some warming and getting used to, but I eventually started enjoying this more and more.

Pours a clear, beautiful golden color. The head is two fingers high and white in shade. While it's dense and creamy (compared to a Belgian saison), it doesn't retain very well. On the other hand, some lacing sticks to the glass nicely.

It's a very style-appropriate aroma, that's for sure. The yeast profile smacks of black pepper, flowers, and fresh-cut grass, almost evoking Saison Dupont. It's similar, but different. I think the crackery malts are displayed a bit better here (because it's 8.5%), and there's an ever-so-slight alcoholic touch as well. There are even some fruity twinges hinting more at white grape and pear than anything, as well as plenty of noble hops (this would be tragically skunked if it came in green bottles, I surmise). A very good aroma that's mildly complex, plain and simple.

Taste-wise, it starts off with a nice, bready malt character. Not a particularly heavy or dark bread, but bready nonetheless. There are additional opening twinges of crackers and table sugar. The farmhouse yeast is clustered around the middle and end, offering up some black pepper, grass, and floral hints; some noble hops also give a gentle, earthen grassiness on the finish. The 8.5% isn't hidden spectacularly well, instead offering up some hints of apple, pear, and grape along side the hops and yeast. Only the lack of perfect balance keeps it from being a 4.

The texture is kind of weird. It's not particularly light bodied, nor does it feature the effervescence of other saisons (but by no means is the carbonation timid). Instead, it seems to rely on a semi-assertive hop dryness to cleanse the palate - like a good ol' fashioned west coast IPA. And frankly, it works. A touch of booze shows up after a while, but the drinkability is quite good otherwise.

I'm glad I got to try one of the "textbook" examples of this style. And it's a good one. It hides its bigness well, only at the cost of exposing a small amount of alcohol. It's a bit expensive for me to go rushing out to buy more again, but it's more than worthy of anyone's time (especially those who love farmhouse ales like me).

From bottle, pours a clear blonde colour with a good white head that disapates to a small layer. Aroma floral, lemon, bread, yeast. Taste apples, grapes, lemon, yeasty, sweet. Very crisp, easy to drink for the ABV.

A: The body is pure crystalline yellow with a one finger white head that has lots of retention, but it seems too much filtered.
S: The aroma is purely yeast. It shares the same aroma as lots of belgian beers, you can sense the belgian influence in this style.
T: The taste, again, visits Belgium with prominent yeast profile and a minor hoppy tone.
M: The body is medium to high with an exagareted carbonation.
O: Nice but the basis of is beer is mostly the yeast, interesting move but not enough to stick in mind.

First, I have never had a cork get between me and a great ale. (This cork did not win, but it was a struggle.)
Once I got the cork out, 3 Monts was terrific.
To me, 3 Monts is more amber than golden, but it Looks terrific... full in foam and it hung around.
Smell is malty, fruity, inviting. Taste is fulfilling, a rich brew of barley and just enough spicing for a malt-head like me to say "good." Feel is soft. A great accompaniment to the mid-range of herbed, garlicky food (you know, the French.)

Reviewed in Roger Protz' CAMRA classic "300 Beers To Try Before You Die!"
3 Monts also is listed on the "1001."
I will have this Blonde again.